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Monday, October 21, 2013

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Delayed gratification hurts climate change cooperation

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:07 PM PDT

Time is a huge impediment when it comes to working together to halt the effects of climate change, new research suggests.

Neuron 'claws' in the brain enable flies to distinguish one scent from another

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:07 PM PDT

Researchers are using the fruit fly to discover how the brain integrates multiple signals to identify one unique smell. It's work that has broader implication for how flies -- and ultimately, people -- learn.

Large-scale deep re-sequencing reveals cucumber's evolutionary enigma

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:07 PM PDT

Scientists have created a cucumber genomic variation map that includes about 3.6 million variants revealed by deep resequencing of 115 cucumbers worldwide. This work provides new insights for understanding the genetic basis of domestication and diversity of this important crop, and provides guidance for breeders to harness genetic variation for crop improvement.

Rats! Humans and rodents process their mistakes

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:07 PM PDT

What happens when the brain recognizes an error? A new study shows that the brains of humans and rats adapt in a similar way to errors by using low-frequency brainwaves in the medial frontal cortex to synchronize neurons in the motor cortex. The finding could be important in studies of mental illnesses such as obsessive compulsive disorder, ADHD, and Parkinson's disease.

Blood stem cells age at the unexpected flip of a molecular switch

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:06 PM PDT

Scientists have found a novel and unexpected molecular switch that could become a key to slowing some of the ravages of getting older as it prompts blood stem cells to age.

Global ocean currents explain why Northern Hemisphere is the soggier one

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:06 PM PDT

The Northern Hemisphere gets more tropical rain because of ocean currents that originate in the icy waters near Greenland.

Two genetic wrongs make a biochemical right

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:06 PM PDT

In a biological quirk that promises to provide researchers with a new approach for studying and potentially treating Fragile X syndrome, scientists have shown that knocking out a gene important for messenger RNA translation in neurons restores memory deficits and reduces behavioral symptoms in a mouse model of a prevalent human neurological disease.

Inherited gene variation tied to high-risk pediatric leukemia, risk of relapse

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:05 PM PDT

Research scientists have linked an inherited gene variation to a nearly four-fold increased risk of developing a pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) subtype that is associated with a poor outcome.

Cells' 'molecular muscles' help them sense and respond to their environments

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:05 PM PDT

Researchers used suction to learn that individual "molecular muscles" within cells respond to different types of force, a finding that may explain how cells "feel" the environment and appropriately adapt their shapes and activities.

Mixing nanoparticles to make multifunctional materials

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:05 PM PDT

Scientists have developed a general approach for combining different types of nanoparticles to produce large-scale composite materials. The technique opens many opportunities for mixing and matching particles with different magnetic, optical, or chemical properties to form new, multifunctional materials or materials with enhanced performance for a wide range of potential applications.

'Random' cell movement is directed from within

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:05 PM PDT

Cell biologists have discovered that message-relaying proteins inside cells always initiate the cellular projections that act as hands to help cells "crawl." The messenger protein network was known to be required for directional movement but scientists now know that it can self-activate spontaneously to direct random movement as well.

Flu virus wipes out immune system's first responders to establish infection

Posted: 20 Oct 2013 01:04 PM PDT

Revealing influenza's truly insidious nature, scientists have discovered that the virus is able to infect its host by first killing off the cells of the immune system that are actually best equipped to neutralize the virus.

Disaster management expert warns Australian bush fires will be amongst worst ever seen

Posted: 19 Oct 2013 07:47 PM PDT

New South Wales firefighters could not possibly have done any more to tackle the bushfires engulfing the area around Sydney and are now ultimately at the mercy of the elements, according to a senior academic.

A new look at air pollution sources and atmosphere-warming particles in South Asia

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:23 AM PDT

New research provides most thorough analysis yet of outdoor cremation ritual emissions in South Asia. While past studies identify black carbon aerosols emitted from combustion of fossil fuels and residential biofuels as the dominant light-absorbing aerosol in the region; new research shows funeral pyre emissions contain sunlight-absorbing organic carbon aerosols known as brown carbon, and underscores the importance of quantifying and characterizing region-specific, cultural combustion activities to enhance existing aerosol emission budgets and climate models.

Market bubbles may be predictable, controllable

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:23 AM PDT

An international team of chaos researchers say that extreme events like market crashes and super-waves at sea, which they call "dragon kings," are less random than had been thought and that, in a simple experiment at least, they can be anticipated and controlled.

Evolution is not a one-way road towards complexity

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:22 AM PDT

The larvae of the Wirenia argentea hold a much more complex muscular architecture than their adults -- they remodel during their metamorphosis. So evolution is not a one-way road towards complexity.

Lots of oxygen does not necessarily lead to the evolution of advanced life

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:22 AM PDT

Any textbook will tell you that oxygen is essential for advanced life to evolve. But why did life not explode when oxygen levels rose dramatically 2.1 billion years ago? This became a big question after scientists showed the oxygen content 2.1 billion years ago was probably the same as when life exploded 500 million years ago.

Mutations in cancer often affect the X chromosome

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:22 AM PDT

Every cell in a woman's body inactivates one of its two X chromosomes. Scientists have discovered that various types of cancer exhibit an abnormally huge numbers of mutations in the inactive X chromosome. The findings help scientists understand how mutations accumulate in damaged cells and eventually lead to the development of cancer.

Tiny sea creatures are heading for extinction, and could take local fisheries with them

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:21 AM PDT

A species of cold water plankton in the North Atlantic, that is a vital food source for fish such as cod and hake, is in decline as the oceans warm. This will put pressure on the fisheries that rely on abundant supplies of these fish.

Habitat research methods give a new peek at tiger life

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:21 AM PDT

From a tiger's point of view, yesterday's thoughtful conservation plans might be today's reason to branch out. An international team of researchers has found a useful way to better understand the tiger's take on policy.

Link strengthened between low fiber intake, increased cardiovascular risk

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:21 AM PDT

New research shows a significant association between low dietary fiber intake and cardiometabolic risks including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular inflammation, and obesity.

The benefits of bacteria for gut health

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:20 AM PDT

Scientists have shown that specific gut bacteria are beneficial for maintaining a healthy intestine in the fruit fly Drosophila and mice and also contribute to the overall health of these organisms. The researchers demonstrated that bacteria in the gut, particularly members of the genus Lactobacillus, promote the growth of host epithelial cells and that this is essential for maintaining homeostasis in the intestinal system.

Deer-like species: Extinct cervid species remains discovered in Barcelona

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:20 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered the remains of an extinct cervid species first recorded in the Iberian Peninsula. The animal lived in the Pleistocene about 90,000 years ago.

Learning dialects shapes brain areas that process spoken language

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:20 AM PDT

Using advanced imaging to visualize brain areas used for understanding language in native Japanese speakers, a new study finds that the pitch-accent in words pronounced in standard Japanese activates different brain hemispheres depending on whether the listener speaks standard Japanese or one of the regional dialects. 

Key genes for increasing oil content in plant leaves identified

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:20 AM PDT

Scientists have identified the key genes required for oil production and accumulation in plant leaves and other vegetative plant tissues. Enhancing expression of these genes resulted in vastly increased oil content in leaves, the most abundant sources of plant biomass -- a finding that could have important implications for increasing the energy content of plant-based foods and renewable biofuel feedstocks.

Tanning gene linked to increased risk of testicular cancer

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:20 AM PDT

A gene important in skin tanning has been linked to higher risk for testicular cancer in white men, according to a study. Nearly 80 percent of white men carry a variant form of this gene, which increased risk of testicular cancer up to threefold in the study.

Wrangling flow to quiet cars and aircraft

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:20 AM PDT

With the use of high voltage equipment, very small plasmas can be used to manipulate fluid flows. In recent years, the development of devices known as plasma actuators has advanced the promise of controlling flows in new ways that increase lift, reduce drag and improve aerodynamic efficiencies -- advances that may lead to safer, more efficient and more quiet land and air vehicles in the near future.

New tool predicts survival in advanced prostate cancer

Posted: 18 Oct 2013 10:20 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a tool for doctors to forecast the potential survival of individual patients, enabling faster, more accurate information on whether to try additional rounds of treatment or seek clinical trials.

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